Wheelaroos continue dominant World Cup campaign with convincing win over Scotland
The AtkinsRéalis Australian Wheelaroos have continued their impressive Rugby League World Cup 2026 campaign, recording a commanding 104-24 victory over Scotland at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong on Tuesday.
Backing up their opening-round victory over New Zealand, the Wheelaroos delivered another outstanding attacking performance to secure their second consecutive win and build momentum ahead of Friday night’s highly anticipated clash with France.
Australia crossed for 19 tries, with Adam Tannock producing a sensational six-try performance to claim Player of the Match honours.
Zac Schumacher was another standout, crossing for four tries, while captain Bayley McKenna and Diab Karim each recorded hat-tricks. Dan Anstey added two tries, with Cory Cannane also getting on the scoresheet.
The Wheelaroos opened strongly, with Schumacher crossing for the first try after eight minutes of sustained attacking pressure.
While Scotland responded with two first-half tries, Australia’s speed, attacking combinations and ability to capitalise on opportunities saw the home side establish a commanding 44-12 lead at halftime.
The Wheelaroos maintained their attacking intensity after the break, adding another 60 points to complete an impressive 80-point victory.
For Tannock, the six-try haul was made even more special by the opportunity to represent Australia in front of family and friends on home soil.
“To have the World Cup on home soil and have all our families here, everyone from Australia obviously coming down… We’re going to be bringing home the World Cup, boys and girls!” Tannock said.
Schumacher, who crossed for four tries, said the match provided an important opportunity to test different combinations and continue building towards Friday’s clash with France.
“It was good to see different combinations on the court. Obviously, at training we all know what we’re doing, so seeing those combinations work against the opposition in a Test match is always pleasing,” Schumacher said.
Despite another dominant performance, Schumacher acknowledged there were still areas for improvement.
“We worked on our plans, executed where we wanted, but still went away from it a little bit in parts. Made a couple of errors we shouldn’t really make, but definitely building for the big game, France.”
Schumacher also praised the depth of the Australian squad, with points shared across the team.
“We don’t rely on one player. We’ve got points all across the park. We’ve got great defenders all across the park. It’s a pretty well-balanced team.”
Focus turns to France
The result follows Australia’s dominant opening-round victory over New Zealand and reinforces the team’s strong start to the tournament on home soil.
The focus now turns to Friday night’s blockbuster against France, with both nations undefeated after two rounds.
France has also made an impressive start to its campaign, recording victories over Scotland and New Zealand.
The clash will be particularly significant for the Wheelaroos, who were eliminated by France in the semi-finals of the 2022 Rugby League World Cup.
Captain Bayley McKenna said the match against Scotland was an important opportunity to refine the team’s playing style ahead of the highly anticipated encounter.
“We’re just trying to get our motion correct, trying to have a good transition in between chaos and calmness,” McKenna said.
“We want to live in the darkness. If you can live in that on the field, then you can conquer anything.”
McKenna said defensive communication and structure would be a key focus over the coming days.
“They just seem to throw the ball around a bit, and we’ve just got to, again, control that chaos in defence, prevent the slide together as a team and let each other know where we are.”
Schumacher said the Wheelaroos were confident in their ability to challenge for the World Cup title.
“We know that we control our path to winning this World Cup. If we can put it all together against France, it’ll be good for the team.”
With both teams vying for top position in their pool heading into the semi-finals, Friday’s encounter promises to be one of the highlights of the tournament.
Next match: Australia v France
Friday 6 November 2026
Kick-off: 7.30pm AEDT
Venue: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Watch: Live and free on 7plus
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